Scottish Executive

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 16-19 December 2002.

Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels from 16 to 20 December 2002, together with Margaret Beckett, Elliot Morley (DEFRA) and Ian Pearson (Northern Ireland Office).

  The main fisheries business before the Council centred on three subjects: reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP); a cod and hake recovery plan, and the total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2003. Regulations covering all three subjects were agreed as a package.

  On CFP reform, three new regulations were adopted: a new framework (or basic) regulation, a regulation establishing an emergency Community measure for scrapping fishing vessels, and a regulation amending the detailed rules and arrangements on Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector.

  The new framework regulation allows for the continuation of the 6- and 12-mile territorial limits, relative stability (including Hague Preference) as the method for allocating quotas, and the Shetland Box. It also paves the way for the introduction of Regional Advisory Councils and multi-annual management plans. The other regulations now require the phasing out by end-2004 of subsidies for the building of new fishing boats, and adjust the payments available for scrapping of vessels.

  On cod and hake recovery plans, the Council deferred a decision on the Commission’s draft regulation from last December. As a consequence of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea advice calling for a total moratorium on cod and cod related fisheries, the Commission proposed an interim regulation (as Annex XVII to the TAC and quota regulation) as an alternative cod recovery plan.

  The centrepiece of Annex XVII is an effort control regime based on a limitation of days spent at sea by vessels catching cod in the North Sea, west of Scotland and Skaggerak and Kattegat. The regulation imposes different limitations on different vessels according to the type of gear in use. The aim is to exclude certain vessels altogether (for example pelagic trawlers) and to impose variable restrictions on other vessels according to how much cod they are deemed to catch. For example, most nephrops vessels will in practice have a 25-day limit per month, while whitefish demersal trawlers will be restricted to seven days per month. As a result of negotiations on such matters as the use of technical measures, decommissioning and steaming days, the UK's demersal trawlers will in practice be allowed 15 days per month rather than seven. The regulation also makes allowance for some flexibility in the use of such days. It allows some movement of days between months and between vessels.

  The intention is that this should be an interim measure, and that a more sophisticated regime (based on the earlier cod and hake recovery plan) should be agreed by the end of March for implementation by 1 July 2003. Declarations to that effect are recorded.

  On TACs and quotas, the Council agreed to broadly stable pelagic quotas (a reduction on mackerel but a significant increase on herring), stable nephrops TACs, and significant reductions in key whitefish TACs (such as cod, haddock, whiting, and anglerfish). The TAC reductions on cod and associated stocks of interest to the Scottish industry were of the order of 50% as compared to the Commission’s original proposals of around 65%.

  In addition, the Council agreed to provide financial support to Spanish fishermen and mussel and oyster growers affected by the Prestige oil spill. No new money is involved: the agreement involved a re-allocation of existing Spanish structural funds.

  The Council also agreed the conclusions of the Commission’s action plan for the Mediterranean, which will pave the way for the presentation of specific management measures for the area.

  In addition, the already agreed regulations for the management of deep-water fisheries were adopted as an "A point".

  Finally, the Commission also presented its proposal for a new management regime to limit fishing effort in Western Community Waters. No decision was taken on this.

  On agriculture, the Council agenda covered two main areas, food safety and animal welfare.

  The Council reached political agreement on measures to update food hygiene rules for products of animal origin (unanimous) and EU rules covering the use of additives in animal feed (by qualified majority).

  Conclusions were also agreed on animal welfare in third countries and on mutual assistance between member states regarding animal welfare. The Commission reported progress on developing further proposals for the protection of animals in transport.

  The Council was unable to reach agreement on a proposal for new rules governing feedstuffs for organic livestock. Under the relevant comitology procedures, the Commission will adopt the new measure under its own powers in January 2003. The Commission reported on the progress of its work to develop an EU level Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming and was remitted to continue its efforts and report further by the end of 2003.

  The Council approved, by qualified majority, arrangements to protect the EU market from a surge in low priced cereals from Russia and the Ukraine. The Commission reported on the agreements reached with the US and Canada to establish reduced tariff quotas for certain cereals, and the Council authorised the Commission to implement the deal from the beginning of 2003.

  Over lunch, the Commission presented a paper proposing a number of specific reductions in tariff levels, export subsidies and domestic support which it intends to submit to the World Trade Organization in the context of the Doha Round negotiations on agriculture. The UK welcomed the paper as an important first step in the process leading up to the Cancun Ministerial meeting in September but warned that our negotiating partners were likely to press for a more ambitious outcome.

  Under other business, Germany reported national action it had taken to reduce levels of acrylamide in food, and Italy raised concerns over the co-existence of genetically modified and conventional agriculture.

Anti-Social Behaviour

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies are being conducted in prisons and other custodial and residential centres into the relationship between nutritional deficiencies and biomedical problems and violence and anti-social behaviour.

Mr Jim Wallace: So far as is known, no such studies are currently under way. An application for a study of this kind has, however, been made to the Scottish Prison Service, and is being considered for funding in competition with other research proposals in the normal way.

Audiology

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available for improvements in the quality and quantity of audiology equipment to support modernisation of NHS audiology services.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have today announced that £1.5 million will be made available within this financial year for the purchase of equipment to support modernisation of audiology services within NHSScotland.

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the number of (a) children and (b) adults identified as suffering from an autistic spectrum disorder has reduced or increased over the last three years and whether the numbers are projected to increase or decrease over the next three years.

Mr Frank McAveety: Greater numbers of people are being recognised as having autistic spectrum disorders. Comprehensive information on the number of people identified with this condition is not available. The information which is available nationally from general practices is based on a small sample only of practices, and estimates of the prevalence of relatively uncommon conditions such as autistic spectrum disorder cannot be reliably derived. As such, this information cannot be used to provide accurate projections for the immediate future.

Birds

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many licenses have been applied for by fisheries boards to cull piscivorous birds in each of the last five years; how many applications for such licenses were approved, and how many birds were shot under each licence, broken down by species.

Allan Wilson: The following table shows bird licences that have been applied for by District Salmon Fishery Boards in the last five years. Licences are issued between 1 September and 30 April.

  


Year 
  

Applied for 
  

Approved 
  

Cormorant 
  

Merganser 
  

Goosander 
  

Heron 
  



1997-98 
  

18 
  

16 
  

121 
  

143 
  

334 
  
 



1998-99 
  

19 
  

15 
  

101 
  

85 
  

285 
  

5 
  



1999-2000 
  

15 
  

14 
  

101 
  

86 
  

308 
  
 



2000-01 
  

14 
  

11 
  

72 
  

48 
  

265 
  
 



2001-02 
  

11 
  

9 
  

67 
  

63 
  

302

Birds

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage and other wildlife experts are consulted before licences to kill piscivorous birds are issued; on how many occasions licences have been issued against the advice arising from any such consultation in each of the last three years, and whether the scientific grounds for overriding the advice on any such occasions will be published.

Allan Wilson: Advice on each application received is sought from Fisheries Research Services (FRS) Freshwater Laboratory, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) Pesticide Usage and Wildlife Management Group.

  In the last three years, there have been seven occasions when a licence has been issued in cases where SNH has advised against. In each of these cases, the advice from FRS and SASA has been to issue a licence.

  Extensive research on the impacts of piscivorous birds on migratory salmonids has been undertaken by Fisheries Research Services and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Results were published in Fish-eating Birds and Salmonids in Scotland, published in 1998.

Birds

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any scientific evidence it has that shows that killing mergansers and goosanders on rivers has resulted in an increase in migratory fish stocks and in what rivers stocks have so increased.

Allan Wilson: We do not have any such formal evidence. However, we know that significant predation by piscivorous birds occurs towards the end of the freshwater phase of the life cycle of migratory fish. The effect of this is to reduce the numbers of juvenile fish that emigrate   to sea which, in turn, will reduce the numbers of adults that return. A reduction in predation by birds may therefore be assumed to lead to an increase in migratory fish stocks.

Children and Young People

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all young people from the age of 14 have the option of a personal life plan.

Mr Frank McAveety: Personal life plans were proposed as a new form of assessment in The same as you? review of services for people with learning disabilities. The review recommended that everyone with a learning disability who wants to, should be able to have a personal life plan, and that the local area co-ordinator will be responsible for making sure this happens.

  The Scottish Executive issued advice on the appointment of local area co-ordinators to all local authorities and NHS boards in October this year. This set out a framework of key outcomes for local area co-ordination, one of which is the availability of personal life plans.

Children and Young People

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the smooth transition of young people with a disability to adult social work and health services.

Mr Frank McAveety: Aspects of transition should be addressed within current arrangements for Future Needs Assessment for Children with Records of Need so that provision for social and health care or therapies is agreed with adult services when necessary. The Scottish Executive is collecting data on all young people with disabilities to identify need and to consider potential approaches.

  Specific work is being done on a number of fronts to ensure smooth transition.

  The Scottish Executive provided funding of £180,000 through its Innovation Fund for Children's Services for projects in Ayrshire and Arran, Forth Valley and Lanarkshire designed to smooth the transition from child to adult health services for people with disabilities. The Forth Valley project produced guidelines for health professionals on smoothing the transition between child and adult services for people with a learning disability, which are available on SHOW (Scottish Health on the Web).

  The answer given to question S1W-32408 today, also gives an outline of initiatives in respect of people with learning disabilities. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Consumer Protection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has held any discussions with Her Majesty's Government with regard to amendments to the proposed European directive on consumer credit.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including consumer protection.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it can ensure that blood products do not contain new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).

Mr Frank McAveety: There is currently no test for the screening of blood donation for vCJD. Several international groups of research workers are working to try to develop a blood test, but it is currently unclear whether this will be possible and, if so what the time frame is likely to be.

  I would also refer you to the answer given to your question S1W-32184 on 13 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have access to an after school club.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive does not collect figures on the number of children who have access to an after school club. However, based on information from the 2002 Pre-school and Daycare Census, we estimate that during the Census week in January this year there were approximately 20,700 term time and 12,900 holiday out of school care places in Scotland. Since January, a further 4,000 places have been funded through the New Opportunities Fund.

Fire Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds any information on the (a) percentage and (b) number of firefighters that have additional jobs.

Hugh Henry: I have nothing to add to the answer given to S1W-32429 on 19 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Fire Service

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether police officers were involved in visiting the sites of reported fire incidents to assess the severity of such incidents during the strikes by firefighters and, if so, what the costs have been of any overtime payments in respect of such visits and from what budgets any such payments have been made.

Hugh Henry: Where there was any doubt about the accuracy of a call reporting a fire, police officers were asked to visit the reported site of the incident to confirm the existence, or otherwise, of a fire.

  The Executive has given a commitment to police forces to meet the additional costs incurred by forces during the strikes by firefighters. Certified statements are due to be submitted by forces during January 2003 in relation to these additional costs. In due course, payments will be made from police grant.

Fire Service

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a national fire safety strategy that includes the aim of reducing the incidence and severity of fires and, if not, whether it intends to develop such a strategy.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has a community fire safety strategy which is aimed at reducing the number of fires occurring and the consequent loss of life, injuries and damage to property. The strategy is delivered in partnership with local fire authorities and brigades and was ratified at the Scottish Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council in June 2002.

  The Scottish Executive also contributes to the wider UK programme of fire safety through our membership of the Fire Safety Advisory Board.

Firearms

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many firearms licences have been removed from gamekeepers in each year since 1999.

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many gamekeepers have been convicted of an offence in relation to the possession of unlicensed firearms in each year since 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Fisheries

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total catch of salmon was in 2002, broken down by area and type of fishery.

Allan Wilson: Salmon catch figures for 2002 are not yet available.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the cost of the Holyrood project will continue to be met from the Scottish block grant; what steps it can take, or is taking, to minimise or control the impact of the allocation of that expenditure; whether it intends to appoint a member to the Holyrood Progress Group, and whether it intends to take any further steps to secure the protection of the public interest in respect of the allocation of expenditure to the project.

Patricia Ferguson: Funding for the project is provided to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), is hypothecated from Scotland’s total budget and is not allocated from the Executive. The Holyrood Progress Group (HPG) was established by the SPCB as its principal advisory body in taking the project forward and financial control is exercised through regular reporting to the Finance Committee by the SPCB. The Scottish Executive is represented at official level on the HPG and is in regular contact with the SPCB over costs as the project develops. However, responsibility for the Holyrood project rests with the SPCB and the Parliament.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements in meeting targets and overall performance are being considered in respect of the conduct of sittings of the High Court, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Colin Boyd QC: The widening of the pool of eligible candidates from which Advocate Deputes may be selected, the provision of additional preparation time, improvements in training and the arrangements to ensure that the most senior Advocate Deputes prosecute the most serious and complex cases, are designed to improve the preparation and prosecution of High Court cases.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements in the management of circuits of the High Court are being considered and what the responsibilities will be for the oversight of circuit managers of each of the three categories of High Court prosecutor, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Colin Boyd QC: Steps are being taken to improve the management of High Court Sittings, by integrating those involved in Sitting management into the Crown Office High Court Unit and by increasing the number of support staff. The relationship between Sitting managers and Crown Counsel will remain as at present.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements are being considered in the time to be made available to advocates depute for the preparation of trials allocated or to be allocated to them, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Colin Boyd QC: The proposals announced in the paper Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime – Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward are intended to improve the preparation of High Court cases, particularly those which are serious and complex. Additional preparation time will be made available to Advocate Deputes.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made or are being considered to safeguard the independence of all categories of appointment as High Court prosecutors, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards will be put in place to address any perceived lack of independence of procurators fiscal appointed on an ad hoc basis and to ensure that a fiscal appointed as ad hoc advocates depute are not required to act as an ad hoc advocate depute in any case in which they had any prior involvement as a procurator fiscal or that has originated in the region where their office is currently located, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards will be put in place to protect the independence of solicitors advocate appointed as a senior advocate depute or an advocate depute and ensure that such solicitors advocate are not in partnership with, employed by, consultants for, or hold any other interest in a legal firm undertaking criminal defence work and to require the cessation of any such interests on appointment, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards will be put in place to protect the independence of solicitors advocate appointed on an ad hoc basis and to ensure that solicitors advocate appointed as ad hoc advocates depute are not in partnership with, employed by, consultants for, or hold any other interest in a legal firm undertaking criminal defence work and to require the cessation of any such interests on appointment, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards will be put in place to protect the independence of solicitors advocate appointed on an ad hoc basis and to ensure that solicitors advocate appointed as ad hoc advocates depute are not appointed in respect of cases emanating from any region in which they undertake criminal defence work on a regular basis, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Colin Boyd QC: The paper Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime – Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: Proposals for Change published in September 2002 made clear my commitment to the independence of Crown Counsel. I confirmed in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime – Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward that the key elements of the proposals for change would be implemented, and that the further work required to implement the details would be taken forward over the next few months. This work will include setting out further details of the arrangements to secure the independence of all categories of appointment as High Court prosecutors.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether procurators fiscal appointed as ad hoc advocates depute will be required to hold extended rights of audience before the High Court, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Colin Boyd QC: Members of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service appointed by the Lord Advocate to prosecute in the High Court will have, or will have to obtain, rights of audience before the High Court.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are proposed or are being considered to ensure equality of treatment among the pool of eligible candidates from which advocates depute might be selected and appointed, in relation to their terms and conditions and any pension entitlement, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Colin Boyd QC: We will put in place arrangements which ensure that Advocate Deputes are engaged on terms which ensure equality of treatment, including the remuneration of Advocate Deputes and Senior Advocate Deputes. Only Advocate Deputes who are employed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will have a pension entitlement, but the value of that entitlement will be reflected in their remuneration in order to ensure equality of treatment with Advocate Deputes who are not employees.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are proposed or are being considered regarding the marking of cases by members of the procurator fiscal service for trial by sheriff and jury, in the light of the arrangements for the prosecution of serious crime in the High Court set out in Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime - Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: The Way Forward , and the announcement by the Lord Advocate on 17 December 2002.

Colin Boyd QC: The paper Modernising the Effective Prosecution of Serious Crime – Appointment and Role of Advocate Deputes: Proposals for Change , published in September 2002, provided details of the proposed arrangements for the marking of sheriff and jury cases: paragraphs 24-30, in particular paragraph 29.

Police

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30100 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 October 2002, whether it has now received the initial recommendations emerging from the review of common police services and, if so, what recommendations have been made with regard to out-sourcing of such services.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. The over-arching review had included a series of small-scale best value reviews covering most back office services delivered by police forces. While these best value reviews have resulted in a number of efficiencies, the initial conclusion is that a wider ranging study covering all back office services is now needed. Ministers have therefore agreed that consultants should be commissioned to undertake such a study and preparations are currently in hand to issue tenders.

Rail Network

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish passenger rail franchise will be relet in April 2004.

Iain Gray: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), which acts as procurement agent for the Scottish passenger rail franchise, has advised ministers that by 1 April 2004, when the current franchise expires, a preferred bidder is expected to have been selected and the terms of a new franchise agreement to have been substantially agreed. However, the SRA considers that a short extension to the franchise may be required to allow mobilisation to be completed. Such an extension is provided for in the existing contract.

Roads

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the gritting of the A1 trunk road on the morning of 17 December 2002 was in compliance with its contract with Amey Highways Ltd; what road traffic accidents occurred that morning, and what the causes and effects of those accidents were.

Lewis Macdonald: Yes. The gritting on the A1 trunk road undertaken by Amey Highways Ltd on the morning of the 17 December 2002 has been checked by the independent Performance Audit Group who have confirmed it to be in compliance with the trunk road maintenance contract. Lothian and Borders Police reported a total of three separate accidents which they attributed to icy driving conditions and an inspection carried out by Amey Highways revealed damage to the central reserve safety fence at several locations between Oaktree Junction and the Haddington East Junction.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32128 by Lewis Macdonald on 18 December 2002, whether any independent research has been carried out into the effectiveness of the Learn To Let Go campaign.

Lewis Macdonald: Faulds Advertising have already carried out their own research into the effectiveness of the campaign and System Three Social Research have recently been commissioned to follow up the baseline research on Public Awareness and Perceptions of Travel Awareness they carried out in 2001. As well as covering travel awareness generally, the System Three research will include a number of questions which relate specifically to the Learn to Let Go campaign. These are the only pieces of research into the effectiveness of the Learn to Let Go campaign which we have commissioned.

Scottish Executive Consultation

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30876 by Dr Richard Simpson on 18 November 2002, whether it will give a breakdown of costs for each of the studies undertaken by Lambda Research and Consultancy and whether each of these studies will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Hugh Henry: The following reports are available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The cost of the project is given against each entry.

  Business-related bankruptcies under the bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985, (Bib. number 24356) – contract cost £32,461.25 including VAT.

  Retained, auxiliary and volunteer firefighters in the Scottish Fire Service, (Bib. number 20422) – contract cost £13,915.37 plus VAT.

  A rural Community Gateway Website for Scotland - scoping study, (Bib. number 23333) – contract cost £29,022.50 including VAT.

  Feasibility Study for a victim and witness support services in Scotland, (Bib. number 25338) – contract cost £47,200 plus VAT.

  Audit of ICT Initiatives in Social Inclusion Partnerships and Working for Communities Pathfinders in Scotland, (Bib. number 6313) – contract cost £3,440 plus VAT.

  The following reports are not available from the Parliament Reference Centre:

  The Information Needs of Policy Makers in Civil Law research carried out by LAMBDA was not published. The total cost of this work was £32,750 plus VAT.

  Research on Dealing with Sex Offenders in Scotland was consultation work for the Expert Panel on Sex Offending chaired by the Honourable Lady Cosgrove and did not result in a formal report. This contract was with Douglas Maclean rather than with LAMBDA.

  The Crown Office commissioned Evaluation of Pilot Victim Liaison Service in Grampian and Hamilton is on-going. The total contract cost is £59,900.

  The Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary research into Family Liaison Officers is still in progress. This research was commissioned to inform the Thematic Inspection of Family Liaison Officers. The inspection report will be published in February 2003 and will be available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The cost of the project is £10,935.

Scottish Executive Consultation

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30876 by Dr Richard Simpson on 18 November 2002, whether the Know the Score study by Lambda Research and Consultancy will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Hugh Henry: A copy of the Know the Score evaluation report was sent to the Parliament’s Reference Centre in September 2002 (Bib. number 24390).

Scottish Executive Consultation

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30876 by Dr Richard Simpson on 18 November 2002, whether the cost for the Know the Score study by Lambda Research and Consultancy is inclusive of VAT.

Hugh Henry: The cost of £29,000 was inclusive of VAT.

Scottish Executive Funding

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the formula used to determine the funding of fire brigades relies too heavily on statistics derived from FBRI forms completed after fires, given that these forms do not indicate the fire service’s wider workload in terms of attending road accidents, floods and other incidents.

Hugh Henry: The distribution of general grant support to fire brigades is based on firefighter numbers (standardised establishment) and actual expenditure on pension costs. Brigades subsequently make their own decisions about the allocation of resources to meet their responsibilities within their areas. The FDR1 form plays no part in the process.

Sensory-Impaired People

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it provides any specific support for housebound, sensory-impaired people to have supported or discounted access to the internet.

Des McNulty: The Scottish Executive does not currently provide such support to housebound sensory-impaired people.

  The People’s Network will make specialist equipment and software available in certain libraries across the country. Two local pilots (North Lanarkshire Sheltered Housing Project and North Ayrshire Jump Leads Project) are also offering computer access to those unable to visit the library. The Scottish Library and Information Council also aims to develop a best practice framework for libraries to offer those with disabilities access to the internet.

  Various voluntary sector bodies also provide advice about computers and the internet for disabled and sensory-impaired people (e.g. the Royal National Institute for the Blind, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, and Mencap), and guidance is available on their respective websites:

  http://www.rnib.org.uk

  http://www.rnid.org.uk

  http://www.mencap.org.uk/

Wildlife

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the written evidence on the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill given by the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association (SGA) to the Justice 2 Committee for its meeting on 3 December 2002 that many SGA members do not bother to apply for wildlife licences has been referred to the police for investigation.

Allan Wilson: The evidence from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association will be considered at the next meeting of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in February 2003, at which police representatives will be present.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer on what date, or dates, since the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body accepted responsibility for the Holyrood project, the specification for blast and bombproofing of glazed units was increased, detailing the reasons for such increases and the specific additional benefits gained on each such occasion.

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer on what date, or dates, since the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body accepted responsibility for the Holyrood project the specification for blast and bombproofing of (a) the curtain wall and (b) exterior walls was increased, detailing the reasons for such increases and the specific additional benefits gained on each such occasion.

Sir David Steel: The detailed specifications of the new Scottish Parliament building conform to Cabinet Office guidelines for a public building of this type. These guidelines, drawn up by the security services, have not changed. Heightened awareness of security issues following recent world events has made it necessary for all those responsible for applying the guidelines to follow them particularly stringently. A number of complex components of the building have been re-designed in order to satisfy the existing guidelines and in some cases it has been only possible to prove compliance conclusively through carrying out blast tests.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer on what date the decision was taken to put out to tender the works package for the windows and cladding work for the MSP block of the new Parliament building at Holyrood, which was subsequently awarded to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; who took the decision; whether it was an alteration of any previous decision, or plan, not to put the work out to tender and to, for example, put out the works package in smaller units or parcels, and by what date bids were to be received from tenderers.

Sir David Steel: The procurement strategy for the project was developed by Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Limited following their appointment by The Scottish Office in January 1999. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that the strategy always included one trade package for all of the MSP Building Cladding works and this approach was agreed by the Holyrood Project Team prior to the issue of tender documentation on 16 August 2000. Initial bids were due to be received from tenderers on 19 September 2000, but this was extended by two weeks to 3 October 2000 at the request of all of the tenderers.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to his answer to question S1W-32047 on 11 December 2002, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has yet seen the contents of the quarterly accounts of Flour City International Inc. for the quarter to 31 July 2002; whether these accounts have been seen by the Holyrood Projects’ construction managers, and, if so, when they first became aware of the contents.

Sir David Steel: No, neither the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body nor the Holyrood Project’s construction managers have seen the quarterly accounts of Flour City International for the financial period to 31 July 2002.